It's hard to stay consistent without bowling league every week. Here it is October, and between vacation and a business trip, I've yet to bowl consecutive weeks. I've been able to get some practice in, which has helped. Bowled well in practice Tuesday, figuring that would translate well to last night's Wed. night league.
Did not bowl particularly well though. First two games I didn't do a good job of extending and trusting my ball down 5. Some short-arming and trying to do too much with it, left me going down 10-12 too often where my ball would skid into the pocket, or come high. Couldn't carry for squat and went 172-180 first two. Not a complete disaster, but I missed a couple of easy spares, 4-7, 7-pin, which annoyed me, since spare-making has been pretty good so far this year otherwise.
I finally got back to a proper delivery in game three. Started off real nicely with a 10-pin (missed it), 10-pin (made it), 10-pin (missed it). All three flush. Not a happy camper! Gotta make your spares though. Finally the pins started falling, turkeyed 4-6, 9-spare in 7th, and struck 8-9 with xx9 in 10th for 222.
574 isn't great, but enough to salvage a night that coulda been devastating to the ol average.
Will try and do a better job mentally next week and be more consistent.
League started 3 weeks ago, and just getting around to my blogly duties now.
Week one was an ok week. Didn't score all that well, 561, and only the first game was decent, 204. But I made all my makable spares, and had a hard time with the conditions which were hooking like crazy. Dumbarse that I am, I fought the conditions instead of going to my less reactive ball. Lesson learned.
I was off on vacation last week, but our sub bowled well, and we came into last night with a lofty 12-2 mark.
We took another 5 of 7, losing the last game, last night.
I shot a 635 on the power of a 245 in the first game. Kinda funny since I couldn't hit the broad side of a head-pin all during practice (they allow us to practice with pins up this year....major improvement in my opinion!)
Last two games I struggled a bit to be consistent, but still a 193-197 to close it out isn't terrible, and except for a couple of beaked splits, I kept a clean game.
I have to take next week off for a business trip to SF, but so far my avg. stands at 199 after six games, so I'm pleased so far in my long road to get over the 200-mark this year.
Tonight's our league kickoff bowling meeting. I shouldn't be excited. After all, it's just a bunch of dudes talking about the rules for the year, team entry cap for the scratch league, who's gonna be treasurer, crap like that.
None of which really affects me. I'm not going to be any kind of officer, and my average is so run of the mill for this league I'm not busting or killing any cap.
BUT....it's like pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training. Sure, no games, but it's like, coming, man. Can you smell the oil? Can you hear the ball rollin? Can you FEEL the 10-pin wobbling in the breeze as you crush the pocket?
All I really need is my traditional 3 cups of snack bar coffee and my warm-up (trip to Taco Bell) and I'm limber, ready and rarin' to go!
200 avg? I laugh in your face. You're no match this year. Cringe in fear. I own you.
Every team's 0-0, tied for first place, and gunning for the top spot. Bring it on.
Until that first ball is rolled, I have the top average in the league and I'm on the first place team too. It doesn't get any better than that (and one could argue it's all downhill from here, but I digress).
Happily, I finished out the season with a strong showing, meaning my avg didn't drop from last year (and was up, though only by a fraction of one pin). While I'm disappointed overall, and felt I really could have made some moves, overall I had fun in my first scratch league experience and learned a lot of things that I think will benefit me in the long run.
Mentally, I did a lot better last night, especially considering I had a major bout of 10-pin-itis in Game 1. Five, count em, five 10-pins, plus a 7-pin that shouldn't-a-been. I did miss one of those 10-pins, an inexplicably missed a 5-pin as well, but held it together for a 183. Good thing I made most of those 10-pins!
Almost everything that didn't fall in Game 1, started falling in Game 2. Went 9/ X X X X to start, and then missed the 7-pin by a sliver, before getting back on track and notching a 234.
Needing just a 171 to avoid falling under 196 avg. for the year, I was all set up heading into Game 3. Naturally, I got two splits in the first 5, and had about 78 in the 5th. But I was able to get five in a row in 6-through-10, and covered the 6-10 on the fill balls for 210, and a 627 series.
Ended up at 196.4, up from 196.15 last year. Not really a significant improvement, but after a sometimes-frustrating year, any improvement at all makes me feel way better than if I had dropped that same fraction.
The adjustments I made the last few weeks, and the new ball, really has me confident that I can get into the 200's next year.
At the end of the night, 602 doesn't suck. It's good. Except when you start off your night with a 256 and blow it to smithereens by following it up with a 172 and a 174!
I smashed the pocket 11 times in a row in Game 1, leaving a 10-pin, 7-pin in frames 1-2, a turkey in 3-5, a 10-pin in the sixth, and then strikes from 7-11 with an 8 on the fill ball.
Game 2 I struck the first couple, and then I lost my mind for approximately 13 frames. Started short-arming everything, left myself 5 splits, and 2 washouts (both of which I made).
Game 3 was three consecutive opens to start, two splits, and an inexplicable miss of the 3-pin. Then strung four in a row and missed the 6-10 by throwing it off the alley in the 8th.
After the last couple of weeks, a 600 is fine and dandy, but I was really hoping for a high 600, or the elusive 700.
At least the 256 is a season high, though I can't help thinking what might have been if I carried those corner pins.
One week to go and I'm literally a single pin under averaging 196, which is exactly what I averaged last year. Not exactly a season of progress unless I pull a 680-something outta my keister next Wednesday.
